Chef Alan DMello went to the World Chefs Congress as a culinary delegate. Of new
flavours, a torch passed and a loud and proud Indian bunch, here is his first-person
report from Singapore.
The smiles were there, there was energy in the air, the World Chefs Congress was
back, this time in Singapore in the first truly post-Covid event. The previous biennial
meeting in Abu Dhabi in 2022 was at the tail end of the pandemic. This time with that
baggage missing, this interesting collective of professionals had an infectious
buoyancy and verve. Everyone was just happy to be there. Or was it just me?
For India, this Singapore Congress (19-22 October) was especially significant. Our
very own Chef Manjit Gill, long a leader on the global stage, was a candidate for the
top job, president of World Chefs. ‘Team Manjit’ caps and jackets were everywhere,
the Indian contingent and its supporters strong and vociferous in their cheers. I was
a happy contributor to the din. More on this later.
OLD TIES
The first Congress was in 1928, in Paris. This was my first Congress. I have been
attempting to attend since 2016 (Greece) but something always came up, including
the pandemic. As first experiences go, this one was nice especially for the people
who came. A large portion of the 500-odd attendees had their white chef coats
match their hair, au naturel. World Chefs is in 100+ countries, the organisation is well
structured, a comparison to the United Nations would be apt. It will celebrate its 100 th
year in 2028 in Paris, an absolutely amazing feat. What was evident at the
Singapore Congress was the people on who’s shoulders it was built, their long
enduring service to the greater good, their long-standing networks and camaraderie.
As a newbie, I noticed many silver surfers just happy to meet old friends in person
again. Isn’t that the main purpose of such gatherings, other than the proclaimed
business? There’s no FOMO for this crowd. They have been there, done that and
are still rocking it.
The chef’s spirit shone bright. Get things done. All across the outgoing president
Chef Thomas Gugler’s leadership team, and the Conference team led by Chef Andy
Cuthbert, the old guard showed energy as if it was Day One of their careers. With
their heart on their sleeves, quite literally because I had given them our famous red
‘Chefs Heart’ badge, it were the seniors who pulled it through.
At this point, credit is due to the local Singapore team led by Chef … of the …
campus. Held at the iconic Marina Bay Sands, the team just delivered on all aspects,
Singaporean efficiency for you. It is nice to have a four-day schedule run on time,
something I’m yet to see in India. Chaos is our companion here.
TO BUSINESS
The business aspect at the Congress would not hold up to much scrutiny. Murmurs
of the topics being generic and even outdated were abound. Some presentations
shone bright, such as Chef Charles Carroll’s personal tragedies that awoken him to
the need to put family first and Chef Eric Teo who most humbly put his life’s work
and failures up for all to see in a presentation that emphasised being alert and open
to opportunities. Both chefs received richly deserved their standing ovations.
I could not attend all the main and breakaway sessions, that is natural for such
events. There is so much to take in, so much networking to do. Also, I am a restless
cat. Sitting and listening to generic views is not a strong suit of mine. Of the
Singapore Congress, my view is that it committed the sin of being opinion-led rather
than showcasing incisive data and trends with active audience feedback. I have
already offered them this feedback.
Here's the Congress programme (https://www.worldchefscongress.org/program), I’ll
let you decide.
CHEF GILL’S RUN
India has for long sent a strong contingent to these Congresses. I’m told this year’s
team was one of the largest and loudest, for a reason. IFCA’s Chef Manjit Gill was in
the mix for the World Chefs presidency. It is an arduous process to be the final two
candidates for consideration, so there is much credit and prestige to achieving this.
Chef Gill has been the originator and mainstay of our culinary guild for many
decades. His candidacy has heightened the ceiling of what chefs from India can
achieve. Running for the presidency of a global body is very tough so very few
attempt it. For months leading up to Singapore, his campaign, based in Bengaluru
and helmed by the amazing Chef Vijayan Bhaskaran, reached out across the world
to garner support.
At the Congress, their hard work was evident with many attendees wearing red caps,
the colour of Chef Gill’s iconic turban. Many from other nations and associations also
wore the lovely ‘Team Manjit’ chef jackets. The Indian contingent was most visible
with our national flag and local associations on the jackets and just an enthusiastic
buzz about it. SICA and the TCF should be credited for being so proactive. Read
more of Chef Gill’s campaign here: https://chefmanjitgill.com
Yet underlying the energy was of the political maths of the elections, scheduled as
the last business session on the last day (22 Oct). Chef Thomas Gugler was
stepping down after two terms, this was an opportunity to mould World Chefs for the
next four years. Only one vote per country, cast in a secret ballot on stage, tallied
and immediately destroyed, in full view of the Congress. If ever there was a show
made for suspense, this was it.
The other candidate was Chef Andy Cuthbert, who was also the conference
chairman. As Singapore 2024 wound down to a close on 22 nd October, just before
lunch, both candidates received a strict 10 minutes each to present their case to the
entire audience. The large Hibiscus Ball Room was packed to capacity. Chef
Cuthbert spoke first and fast. Transparency and honesty were his keywords. He had
no presentation.
Chef Gill, who’s campaign platform was based on inclusivity, heritage and
transparency had an excellent visual presentation and a printed manifesto that
touched upon the key aspects of all our cultures to demonstrate the breadth of his
vision. He did get off to a slightly slow start, but he found his stride in time. He
utilised his ten minutes to the very fullest as I could see the timekeepers indicating
nervously on the countdown of the last minute. Drama avoided, it was down to
voting, done dramatically on stage.
That is where it ended for Chef Manjit Gill, honourably. The presidency was awarded
to Chef Cuthbert in a standing ovation, with cheers abound. And so the torch passed
on from Chef Gugler and the era of COVID-19 to the future with a mandate to bring
our profession and this old association into the very modern era.
The author is the founder of Chef Tours, a travel and exploration service exclusive
for professional chefs. www.cheftours.in
His team also powers the Int’l Chefs Day programme across India which as grown
from ~400 chefs to 60,000+ plus this year. The goal is for Chefs Day to be a default
celebration in India by 2030.
